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                                                                    EXHIBIT 21.1


                    SUBSIDIARIES OF POWELL INDUSTRIES, INC.

                                                 
<TABLE>                                          
<CAPTION>                                        
NAME OF DOMESTIC SUBSIDIARY                        STATE OF INCORPORATION
---------------------------                        ----------------------
<S>                                                <C>
Powell Electrical Manufacturing Co.                Delaware
                                                 
Powell-Process Systems, Inc.(Inactive)             Utah
                                                 
Powell-ESCO Company                                Texas
                                                 
Unibus, Inc.                                       Ohio
                                                 
Delta-Unibus Corp.                                 Illinois
                                                 
U. S. Turbine Corp.(Inactive)                      Nevada
                                                 
Transdyn Controls, Inc.                            California
                                                 
                                                 
                                                 
NAME OF FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY                         COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION
--------------------------                         ------------------------
                                                 
Powell Foreign Sales Corporation                   Barbados, West Indies
</TABLE>
                                                 
